A national social care charity is to be a major sponsor of next year’s Good Neighbours Awards.

The awards, run by Blackburn with Darwen Council in partnership with the Lancashire Telegraph, aims to recognise the borough’s best neighbours.

Community Integrated Care has signed up to be a major partner in next year’s awards, due to be launched in February.

Sponsors in previous years have include Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group, Capita and Blackburn Rovers.

Community Integrated Care is the charity which is developing an innovative care service on the old Infirmary site in Blackburn.

The cutting-edge three storey service will be named ‘EachStep Blackburn’. It will include a 64 bedded care home that will provide respite support, residential care and nursing care.

As well as providing an extensive range of specialist facilities for the people it will support, the service will also offer several amenities for the local community to enjoy and utilise – including a café and public gardens.

The Good Neighbours Awards pay tribute to helpful neighbours, unsung heroes who have never been recognised for their efforts, and who make their streets and neighbourhoods a better place.

Last year’s Your Call Good Neighbours Awards were hugely successful, with more than 50 people rewarded for their contribution.

“I’m delighted to announce Community Integrated Care is to be a major partner in the Good Neighbours Awards. The awards are all about individuals who make their neighbourhoods better place. Community Integrated Care is very community focused so it’s great they are on board helping us put on this key event.”

Neil Matthewman, Chief Executive of Community Integrated Care, says:

“Community Integrated Care is excited to be backing the Good Neighbours Awards, which celebrate the wonderful sense of community spirit in Blackburn. Our charity is excited to be opening our new specialist dementia care service, EachStep Blackburn, in summer 2016. We want to play an active role in the Blackburn community – sharing our talents, resources and specialist approach to care to make the biggest difference possible. It is fitting that we’re supporting these awards, that recognise others who are also committed to giving back. We look forward to meeting some heroes of the local community at the event.”